Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Jones Hill Wood

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the actions of HS2 Ltd in the Jones’ Hill Wood area on protected species in that area; what discussions they have had with HS2 Ltd about ceasing any such further actions until a full presence and absence survey of all moderate and high potential bat roost trees at the site has been (1) undertaken, and (2) published for peer review; and what plans they have to ensure that work on HS2 in the Jones’ Hill Wood area complies with guidance issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on bat protection and licences.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: HS2 Ltd has not commenced works in Jones Hill Wood, and to date no bat roosts (breeding, resting or sheltering places) have been confirmed within the trees in the area. The presence of illegal trespassers on HS2 Ltd land in recent weeks at Jones Hill Wood has meant that HS2 Ltd has not been able to undertake comprehensive bat surveys in order to confirm whether bats are present. With the trespassers now evicted, HS2 Ltd has commenced bat surveys, and should they be identified, then HS2 Ltd will apply for the appropriate licences and put mitigation measures in place. HS2 Ltd undertook an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to support the production of the Phase One Environmental Statement. The EIA was also supported by ecological/ environmental information obtained from local environment records centres (and local groups). The EIA accompanied the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Bill which Parliament considered in detail and gave its consent, with Royal Assent granted on 23 February 2017. HS2 Ltd is currently undertaking ecological surveys at many locations, including Jones Hill Wood. Where protected species are identified from such surveys, specific mitigation measures will be implemented, which are covered under a licence from Natural England, where required. Works which are relevant to requiring licence will only take place when those licenses and permissions have been provided. HS2 Ltd takes its legal obligations seriously, and all its ecology work is carried out in accordance with the law. Licenses from Natural England ensure that HS2 Ltd has the right safeguarding in place to protect wildlife species, including bats, and that all protections are met.

Northern Ireland Office

Coronavirus: Northern Ireland

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about the provision of additional financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The UK Government has taken unprecedented action to support Northern Ireland, including the provision of an additional £2.4bn in spending to the Northern Ireland Executive. Further to this, we have provided more than £1.3bn in government-backed loans to protect and support jobs across the region. Businesses in Northern Ireland will be able to benefit from the extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme into November, and the Self Employment Income Support Scheme has benefitted business people across all sectors, with 56,000 people in Northern Ireland benefitting from SEISS, with an average claim of £2,500 per month. The Government is in regular contact with the Northern Ireland Executive to support the response to the COVID-19 crisis. We will continue to work closely with the Executive to get the economy back up and running, and to lay the foundations for economic growth.

Department for Education

Pupils: Quarantine

Lord Baker of Dorking: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students at (1) secondary schools, (2) sixth forms, and (3) University Technical Colleges, did not attend in the week ending 9 October because they were isolating or quarantined; and how many of those students had access to a computer and an internet connection to facilitate remote learning.

Baroness Berridge: Keeping close track of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools is a priority for the government. Public Health England (PHE) leads in holding data on infection, incidence and COVID-19 cases overall. PHE have published data on COVID-19 incidents by institution, including educational settings. This data is updated weekly and the most recent data can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-reports.The department is currently collecting data from schools on a daily basis, as well as gathering information from local areas and following up with individual settings to confirm that procedures for requiring pupils to isolate are well understood and that necessary decisions are made on the basis of public health advice.The department collects data on the number of schools that have indicated that they have sent children home due to COVID-19 containment measures. We are currently looking at the quality of that data with a view to publishing it as part of the official statistics series. The series includes published data on school openings and attendance, which shows that at a national level approximately 99.3% of state-funded schools were fully open on 22 October (excluding schools on half term or inset days). Of the small proportion (0.7%) of schools that were closed, almost all were due to COVID-19 related reasons. Approximately 86% of all children on roll in all state-funded schools not on half term or inset days were in attendance on 22 October. This data is updated weekly and the most recent data can be found online at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.During the summer term, the department provided over 220,000 laptops and tablets and over 50,000 4G wireless routers for disadvantaged pupils in year 10, children with a social worker and care leavers. The department has spent over £195 million on support for disadvantaged children and young people to access remote education through laptops and tablets, internet connectivity support, and access to online education platforms. We have delivered over 100,000 laptops and tablets to disadvantaged children during the autumn term. This is in addition to the over 220,000 delivered earlier this year.We are also working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families who rely on a mobile internet connection.Young people aged 16 to 19 without suitable laptops and tablets for education may be eligible for support through the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund. Providers make decisions as to who receives a bursary, based on their own criteria.The department does not hold data on the number of students self-isolating who do not have access to a computer and internet connection.

Covid-19 Response School Stakeholder Advisory Group

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Berridge on 20 October (HL8957), whether they will list the members of the Department for Education's COVID-19 Recovery Advisory Group.

Baroness Berridge: There are currently 12 members of the Department’s COVID-19 Recovery Advisory Group. They are:Sir Jon Coles – CEO United Learning GroupMartyn Oliver – CEO Outward GrangeIan Bauckham – CEO of Tenax Schools TrustRichard Gill – CEO of Arthur Terry Learning PartnershipEd Vainker – Co founder and Principal of REACH Academy FelthamBecky Francis – CEO of Education Endowment FoundationJonathan Simons – Director at Public FirstMartin Pratt – Executive Director of Supporting People, Camden and Chair of ADCS Greater London RegionAngela Cox – Director of Education, Diocese of LeedsRowena Hackwood – Chief Executive, Astrea Academy TrustMrunal Sisodia – East of England representative of the National Network of Parent Carer ForumsSusan Douglas – CEO Eden Academy Trust

School Meals: Per Capita Costs

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost (1) in total, and (2) per pupil, of providing lunches to pupils in (a) primary, and (b) secondary, schools.

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost (1) in total, and (2) per pupil, of breakfast clubs in (a) primary, and (b) secondary, schools.

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that meals provided to pupils in (1) primary, and (2) secondary, schools meet national standards for nutritional value.

Baroness Berridge: The government spends over £550 million a year on in England, through the National Funding Formula, to ensure that 1.4 million disadvantaged children benefit from free school meals. A further 1.4 million infant pupils are also supported through universal infant free school meals.The National School Breakfast Programme, running from March 2018 to March 2021, is supporting up to 2,450 schools in disadvantaged areas, at an overall cost to the government of approximately £35 million. Unit costs are commercially sensitive and therefore cannot be made available. Many schools operate their own breakfast club arrangements.There is legislation in place that ensures schools provide meals to all pupils who want them, which should be provided free to those eligible for benefits-related free school meals or universal infant free school meals.The Schools Food Standards provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day.The standards define the foods and drinks that must be provided, which foods are restricted, and those, which must not be provided. They apply to all food and drink provided to pupils on and off school premises and during an extended school day (up to 6pm), including school trips, breakfast clubs, tuck shops, mid-morning break, vending and after school clubs. The department’s advice is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standards-for-school-food-in-england.A summary of the standards and a practical guide are available from the school food plan website at: http://www.schoolfoodplan.com/resources.I believe that the School Food Standards have been transformational in the way schools operate their meal services. We will be updating these standards to bring them into line with revised nutritional recommendations in due course, this work is currently paused due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Assessments: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential health risk posed by students sitting exams in 2021; andwhat plans they have to prepare alternative arrangements.

Baroness Berridge: We have worked closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health England (PHE) to develop specific guidance for school settings. Where schools implement the system of controls outlined in our September reopening guidance, in line with their own workplace risk assessment, PHE and DHSC confirm that they create an inherently safer environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced.The autumn series of exams is currently in progress. A Level exams have concluded without incident and GCSE exams started on 2 November. We have worked with PHE to develop public health guidance to support autumn exams. The guidance sets out arrangements that schools, colleges and other exam centers should implement when delivering exams in autumn 2020 to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This guidance will be updated as necessary to support 2021 exams and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/responsibility-for-autumn-gcse-as-and-a-level-exam-series/public-health-arrangements-for-autumn-exams.In terms of wider contingency planning, we are planning for every eventuality. More detail will be published later in the autumn to ensure students have confidence that they will be treated fairly in 2021 assessments.We are working closely with Ofqual to engage widely with school and further education leaders, exam boards, unions and the higher education sector over the coming weeks to identify any risks to exams at a national, local, and individual student level, and consider measures needed to address any potential disruption.

Breakfast Clubs

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to fund free breakfast provision during school holidays.

Baroness Berridge: The department is investing up to £35 million in the National School Breakfast Programme, using funds from Soft Drinks Industry Levy revenues. This includes an extension by a further year until March 2021.While the programme is designed to support schools during term time, during the summer holidays this year we provided extra provision using existing funds for breakfast meals to participating schools. The support was put in place, while schools were largely closed, to help pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to healthy nutritious breakfast meals. These schools were able to support children in the way which worked best for them, including food parcels collected by parents from open schools or breakfast food ‘drop-offs’.Future departmental spending decisions about the programme are subject to the Spending Review. Further details of this are yet to be determined.

National Tutoring Programme

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote take-up of national tutoring programme funding.

Baroness Berridge: There is extensive evidence that tutoring is one of the most effective ways to accelerate pupil progress, and we want to extend this opportunity to disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils. The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) is an ambitious scheme that will provide additional, targeted support for those children and young people who need the most help to catch-up.We are committed to ensuring that there is a strong take-up of the programme and in particular, supporting those schools with the most need to access tutoring provision. We have undertaken a range of communications and engagement activities to ensure that schools are aware of the support offered by the NTP, and over 7,000 schools have already registered their interest in the programme. Our activities include offering school-focused webinars throughout the academic year, to provide more information about the programme, and over 1,000 schools have already signed up for the first available sessions. The webinars are advertised through social media, websites, newsletters and the department’s school networks.We have also been working with a range of key stakeholders to increase awareness and interest in the programme in areas that need it most, for example, through Opportunity Areas, Multi Academy Trusts and Regions Schools Commissioners. Utilising these networks, we are looking to ensure that school leaders have a strong understanding of the programme and we can engage schools that would benefit most from tutoring support. In addition, we have also been communicating with Local Authority Groups and Teaching Unions to disseminate the information.The NTP is providing regular newsletters, schools focused blogs and other social media content direct to schools. As the programme goes live in November, we will continue to share case studies and good practice to show how tuition can support pupils effectively and help catch-up any lost learning due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. We will continue to monitor take-up throughout the course of this academic year and ensure further communication is directed towards areas of low take-up.

Vocational Education: Remote Education

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofreports that training providers have struggledto offerremote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic;and what steps they are taking to assistsuch providers.

Baroness Berridge: Since March, the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills and department officials have worked closely with further education (FE) providers and their representative organisations to discuss the key issues facing training providers during the pandemic.Provider returns to the department, surveys undertaken by sector organisations and qualitative feedback suggested that the vast majority of Education and Skills Funding Agency funded FE providers rapidly shifted to remote learning following the national restrictions introduced in March. A survey undertaken by the Association of Colleges in July 2020 found that 90% of colleges considered that all or the majority of students under 19 have continued their learning remotely in the summer term. For students over 19, the proportion was 74%. This survey can be found here: https://www.aoc.co.uk/sites/default/files/AoC%20summer%20survey%20July%202020%20FINAL_.pdf.In September, we required all FE providers to resume delivery on site so that students of all ages can benefit from their education and training in full. FE providers were also required to develop a strong contingency plan for remote education provision by the end of September to ensure that providers could rapidly shift to blended, or if necessary remote education should the need arise.Support from the department to assist providers in delivering high quality remote learning includes:16 to 19 Bursary Funding which provides financial support to help students overcome specific financial barriers to participation in education (including for devices and connectivity support).Amendments to the adult education budget (AEB) funding rules for the 2020/2021 academic year so that learner support funds can be used to purchase IT for students aged 19+. In areas where the AEB budget is devolved, mayoral authorities determine adult student support arrangements.A professional development programme for teachers to develop their online teaching skills, provided by the Education and Training Foundation.Peer-to-peer advice and training through the EdTech demonstrator programme which provides support for remote learning.New grants for FE providers across England to provide additional training and support for mentors and coaches specialising in assisting teachers with remote education.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

International Finance Corporation: Animal Feed

Baroness Fookes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the International Finance Corporation about the impact on (1) deforestation, (2) biodiversity, (3) water, and (4) soils, of producing feed for animals farmed in the projects which they fund.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government monitors the International Finance Corporation (IFC)'s application of the Social and Environmental Performance Standards which apply to all IFC projects. Performance Standard 6 covers Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources. For each proposed project, IFC publicly discloses summary project information, environmental and social implications, and expected development impact. Where projects present particular environmental and social risks, IFC sets out a time-limited Action Plan that the project must deliver. The UK Government uses its seat on the IFC Board to ensure that these procedures are followed.

International Finance Corporation: Livestock

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the International Finance Corporation concerning the farm animal welfare standards of livestock projects that it funds.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government monitors the International Finance Corporation (IFC)'s application of the Social and Environmental Performance Standards which apply to all IFC projects. Performance Standard 6 covers Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources. This includes guidance on animal welfare in livestock projects. For each proposed project, IFC publicly discloses summary project information, environmental and social implications, and expected development impact. Where projects present particular environmental and social risks, IFC sets out a time-limited Action Plan that the project must deliver. The UK Government uses its seat on the IFC Board to ensure that these procedures are followed.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representation they have made to the government of Azerbaijan to desist from targeting civilian infrastructure and cultural and religious sites in its military offensive in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Baroness Sugg: The Minister for the European Neighbourhood spoke to the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers on 28 October and urged both parties to abide by the humanitarian ceasefire. She strongly condemned all targeting of civilian infrastructure and the increasing number of civilian casualties.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) missile attacks on the Azeri town of Barda, and (2)who was responsible for those attacks; and what representations they have made to the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia about such attacks.

Baroness Sugg: The UK Government is aware of reports of attacks on Barda although we have not yet made an assessment on responsibility. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood spoke to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 October. She urged both parties to abide by the humanitarian ceasefires and condemned the continued targeting of civilian settlements and infrastructure.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat of mass atrocities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Baroness Sugg: The UK Government has not made an assessment of a threat of mass atrocities in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. We continue to urge both parties to abide by the humanitarian ceasefires. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood spoke to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 October and condemned shelling of civilian settlements.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Cross to facilitate the return of prisoners of war and bodies from the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Baroness Sugg: The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas spoke to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 October. She highlighted the importance of ensuring the International Committee of the Red Cross were able to access the conflict zone to provide emergency humanitarian assistance. She also urged both Foreign Ministers to abide by the recent ceasefire agreements to allow for the facilitation of return of prisoners of war and the remains of the deceased.

Cyprus: Beaches

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the progress of securing a lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatdiscussions they have had withthe government of Cyprus on the long-term future of Cyprus.

Baroness Sugg: The UK is a strong supporter of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue, based on the internationally accepted model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. We welcome the UN Secretary General's commitment to explore convening an informal five-plus-UN meeting with the parties.We continue to discuss the Settlement process with the parties, including the leaders of the Cypriot communities and the Guarantor Powers as well as with the UN. On 27 October, the Prime Minister spoke to President Anastasiades and emphasised the UK's willingness to play a more active, supportive role in the settlement process. He also discussed the Cyprus Settlement with President Erdogan on 28 September and Prime Minister Mitsotakis on 20 October. The Foreign Secretary also discussed the Settlement process with Foreign Minister Christodoulides on 7 October and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu on 19 October. We continue to encourage all sides to engage constructively and demonstrate they are committed to making progress towards a settlement. Ultimately, it is for the sides to agree on the details of any final deal; this will require the agreement of the two Cypriot leaders, their respective communities and the support of Greece and Turkey.

Nagorno Karabakh: Humanitarian Aid

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region; and what financial assistance they have provided in response.

Baroness Sugg: We are increasingly concerned about the humanitarian impact of the fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood spoke to both the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 October and condemned shelling of civilian settlements. On 31 October we announced an additional £1 million in funding for the International Committee for the Red Cross to provide further support for those worst affected by the conflict.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of breaches of ceasefires, what assessment they have made of the conflict betweenAzerbaijan and Armenia.

Baroness Sugg: The UK Government is clear that there can be no military solution to the current conflict. We are deeply concerned that three humanitarian ceasefires have failed to hold. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood spoke to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 October. She urged both parties to abide by the humanitarian ceasefires and condemned the continued targeting of civilian settlements and infrastructure. The UK Government continues to urge both parties to undertake substantive negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Empty Property

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many former military sites are currently vacant in theUK.

Baroness Goldie: A copy of the list showing the land and buildings that are in the process of being disposed of by the Ministry of Defence has been placed in the Library of the House. The majority of these sites are still occupied whilst being prepared for disposal. However, 25 part or whole sites are currently vacant and have been physically handed over to Defence Infrastructure Organisation for disposal.List of MOD Sites Currently Vacant in the UK (xlsx, 24.4KB)

Department for Work and Pensions

Pesticides: Industrial Health and Safety

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many incidents of adverse impacts from exposure to pesticides have been considered by the Health and Safety Executive, in each of the last three years.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Health and Safety Executive has investigated a number of cases related to the use of plant protection products notified to their Concerns and Advice Team or through the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. YearNumber of cases investigated by HSE2019-20232018-19472017-1849

Ventilation: Coronavirus

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Greenhalgh on 20 October (HL8966), whatguidance they will provide on the operation and adaptation of ventilation provision in existing buildings, including (1) schools, (2) fitness facilities, and (3) retail premises and offices,in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has produced the following website-based advice on air conditioning and ventilation in the workplace for existing buildings during the pandemichttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation.htm HSE is carrying out a review of this guidance in light of SAGE’s (the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) consideration of evidence on aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2. If required as a result of this review HSE will update the advice provided on their website. This will also be communicated to stakeholders across all sectors via HSE’s e-bulletin subscription service.

Poverty: Children

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessmentthey have made of the impact of the migration to Universal Credit on child poverty.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Government made a commitment that no eligible claimants’ existing benefits, whose circumstances remain unchanged and who are moved to Universal Credit (UC), will have a lower entitlement at the point of their move to UC than they had entitlement to their existing benefits.

Universal Credit

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publicise and promote the Alternative Payment Arrangements for Universal Credit.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Department for Work and Pensions recognises that vulnerable claimants may need additional support managing their money. Alternative Payment Arrangements (APAs) are available to help Universal Credit (UC) claimants have their award paid differently. This can involve housing costs being paid directly to a claimant’s landlord, receiving twice monthly instead of monthly payments and/or having the UC award split between two members of a couple. APAs can be considered at any point during the UC claim. Crucially, these arrangements are intended only for vulnerable claimants who need targeted, additional support in managing their money – for example, claimants with dependency issues, learning difficulties, significant debts and/or victims of domestic abuse. The Department already publicises APAs. UC work coaches have clear guidance to help them identify when an APA may be appropriate and will always consider any APA that would best support the claimant. Identifying vulnerabilities is a key element of the work coach role and allows the Department to tailor the support it offers to each claimant. In addition, landlords and support organisations are aware of this provision and can request an APA be considered at any time for claimants they are supporting. GOV.UK also includes APAs as part of the additional financial support available to UC claimants

Social Security Benefits

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many, and (2) which types of, algorithms they use to decide access or eligibility for welfare payment or services.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Decisions on applications for welfare payments and services are made by the Department colleagues. The Department does not use algorithms to make decisions in this way. The Department does use business rules, some of which are automated and focus on everyday repetitive processing tasks so that colleagues can spend more time supporting vulnerable claimants. All entitlement and calculation rules are an implementation of welfare policies, which are delivered in accordance with relevant legislation.

Universal Credit: Housing

Lord Bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the Universal Credit housing allocation adequately supports recipients to pay their rent.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: In April we increased Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates so that they cover 30 per cent of local rents in the Private Rented Sector. This significant investment of almost £1 billion will mean over one million households will see an increase, on average, of £600 this year. A decision on LHA rates from April 2021 will be taken prior to the start of the financial year. For those living in the Social Rented Sector, maximum housing costs support is based on actual rent and eligible service charges less any deductions for under-occupation. For those who require additional support Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available.? We have already provided £180 million in DHP funding to Local Authorities to support vulnerable claimants with housing costs in the private and social rented sector in England and Wales for 2020/21. This includes an extra £40 million as announced at last year’s fiscal event

Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus

Lord Bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on (a) single parent families, (b) low-income workers, and (c) young people, and (2) the adequacy ofthe support provided tothose groups through the welfare system to address COVID-19 issues.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: This Government has taken unprecedented action to support people financially and protect jobs, with over 9.5 million people being supported through the furlough scheme alone since the start of the pandemic. We have injected £9.3 billion of additional support to the welfare system including increases to the Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit standard allowances that will benefit four million of the most vulnerable households by up to £1040 this financial year, as well as permanent uplifts to the Local Housing Allowance rates to cover the lowest 30 per cent of market rents. A direct assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on specific groups has not been undertaken. However, HM Treasury’s distributional analysis of COVID-19’s impact on working households published in July, showed that the actions this Government has taken to date have supported poorest working households the most, with those in the bottom ten per cent seeing no income reduction.Our long-term ambition remains to build an economy that will support work, and ensure everyone has the opportunity to enter and progress in work where possible. Our £30 billion Plan for Jobs is the first step on the ladder to achieving this, as well as new schemes such as Kickstart, Job Entry Targeted Support and Job Finding Support.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Animal Welfare

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they insist on animals being raised in a way that conforms to animal welfare standards in the UKwhen they fund international projects involving farming.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government closely monitors the application of environmental, social and governance standards in the multilateral institutions in which it is a shareholder. We are committed to upholding high animal welfare, food safety and environmental standards in all our international projects involving farming. The policies implemented are bespoke to each country, but we are clear that we will seek to raise animal welfare standards wherever possible.The Government also plays an important role in ensuring that multilateral institutions focus on animal welfare in their work. For example, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office has worked with the World Bank's International Finance Corporation on its "IFC Good Practice Note on improving animal welfare", which is now being used by many development finance and private sector investors.

Nappies: Waste Disposal

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a further update to the report by the Environment Agency, An updated lifecycle assessment for disposable and reusable nappies.

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the impact of disposable nappy waste on the environment.

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the use of reusable nappies.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: In line with our Resources and Waste Strategy, we are considering the best approach to minimise the environmental impact of a range of products, including nappies. Policy measures under consideration include standards and consumer information. We are?seeking powers, through the Environment Bill, that will enable us, where appropriate and subject to consultation, to introduce ecodesign and consumer information requirements. Work is taking place to commission an updated lifecycle assessment for washable and disposable?nappies which will look at the waste and energy impacts of washable products, disposal to landfill, and recycling options. This will help us decide on the best course of action for the future and in terms of Government support. Officials are working with representatives of the nappy industry to help inform policy development in this area and last met with representatives from the Nappy Alliance on 26 October.

Pesticides

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides has conducted a review into the effectiveness of regulatory enforcement of pesticide spraying in fields adjoining residential areas.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Expert Committee on Pesticides (ECP) has not conducted such a review. Pesticides are only authorised for use in situations where scientific assessment finds that this will not harm human health, including that of local residents, and will not pose unacceptable risks to the environment. Those using pesticides are required to take all reasonable precautions to protect human health and the environment and to confine the application of the pesticide to the area intended to be treated. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) considers reports of non-compliance in line with its published enforcement policy. Incidents in which people may have been affected by pesticides are monitored, including through work carried out by the National Poisons Information Service. HSE uses the intelligence gathered to inform decisions on enforcement priorities and the ECP regularly reviews the data produced.

Pesticides: Sustainable Development

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 20 October (HL Deb, col 1471), what is the timetable for theconsultation on the update to the UK National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The revised UK National Action Plan or the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (NAP) is currently under ministerial review. The public consultation is due to be published in November. This will be a full public consultation lasting 12 weeks and we are actively encouraging a range of stakeholders to provide their views. All responses will be carefully considered.

Home Office

Counter Terrorism Advisory Network

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Counter Terrorism Advisory Network last met to discuss concerns about the terminology used to describe faith-claimed terrorism; and how many organisations (1) were invited to attend that meeting, and (2) attended.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Counter Terrorism Advisory Network is a national stakeholder forum formed by Counter Terrorism Policing. Membership comprises of survivors of terrorism, academics and researchers, a variety of faith leaders, and community members.The network met to discuss terminology on Thursday 18th June 2020. 154 individuals were invited of whom 61 attended.

Cabinet Office

Viral Diseases: Planning

Lord Bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that the UK is prepared for pandemics and other threats in the future.

Lord True: The Government regularly undertakes lessons learned reviews following civil emergencies. COVID-19 is the biggest challenge that the UK, together with nations around the world, has faced in decades. The Government has always been clear that there will be opportunities to look back, analyse and reflect on all aspects of the response to COVID-19. As the Prime Minister has said, this will include an independent inquiry at the appropriate time. We are still at a critical phase in our ongoing response to the pandemic.

Coronavirus: Death

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many deaths in Englandhad COVID-19 listed as the primary cause of death on the death certificate in 2020 in the months of (1) March, (2) April, (3) May, (4) June, (5) July, (6) August, and (7) September.

Lord True: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond. Dear Lord Naseby, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths in England had COVID-19 listed as the primary cause of death on the death certificate in 2020 in the months of (1) March, (2) April, (3) May, (4) June, (5) July, (6) August, and (7) September (HL9433).The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes statistics on deaths in England and Wales and produces a weekly report[1] on provisional numbers of deaths involving COVID-19. Mortality statistics are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. National Records for Scotland[2] and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency[3] are responsible for publishing statistics on deaths registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.Table 1 provides the number of deaths registered with COVID-19 as the underlying cause of death between 1 March 2020 and 30 September 2020, in England, by month. Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond   Table 1: Number of deaths registered where COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, 1 March 2020 to 30 September 2020, England, by month[4][5][6][7]MonthNumber of deathsMarch1,568April28,013May11,404June3,442July1,008August363September572 Source: ONS  [1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/latest[2]https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/[3]https://www.nisra.gov.uk/[4]Figures include deaths of non-residents.[5]Based on date a death was registered rather than occurred.[6]All figures for 2020 are provisional.[7]The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10) definitions are as follows: coronavirus (COVID-19) (U07.1 and U07.2).

Treasury

Employee Ownership

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing auto-enrolment for employee share schemes.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government believes it is appropriate to allow employers and employees to decide whether to offer and participate in employee share schemes based on their business and individual needs. Companies can offer shares to their employees in various ways. To encourage wider employee share ownership, the Government offers four tax advantaged share schemes: Save As You Earn (SAYE), Share Incentive Plans (SIPs), Company Share Option Plans (CSOP) and Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI). Where offered, these schemes provide a range of tax advantages for employees who wish to acquire shares in the company for which they work. Companies offering SAYE and SIPs are required to open the schemes to all employees. CSOP and EMI are discretionary schemes, which means options can be offered to select employees to help recruitment and retention.  The Government keeps all taxes and reliefs under review.

Job Support Scheme

Lord Bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent job losses once the Job Support Scheme replaces the furlough scheme in November.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: In light of recent developments in the path of the virus, and the new temporary restrictions announced by the Prime Minister, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be extended until 2 December 2020. For hours not worked by the employee, the government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500. The extension will apply UK-wise and eligible employers across the UK, small or large, including charitable or non-profit, will be able to claim for the extended CJRS.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Data Protection: USA

Lord Allan of Hallam: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop new bilateral agreements to facilitate transfers of personal data between businesses in the UK and the United States after 31 December.

Baroness Barran: International data transfers are vitally important to global economies and societies and we look forward to developing and supporting mechanisms in the future that can best facilitate international data transfers. The UK Government is committed to ensuring high data protection standards and supporting UK organisations on international data transfer issues. The UK Government is working with international partners, including the United States and other stakeholders on initiatives that reduce the burdens and barriers on organisations transferring personal data (especially in priority sectors such as tech, manufacturing, finance and health, which are particularly reliant on data flows). This is so that we can unlock the value of data while also providing trust and confidence that personal data is protected. From the end of the transition period, the UK will have an independent policy on data protection and data transfers, including the ability to conclude its own data adequacy agreements.

Sports: Drugs

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK Anti-Doping has refused requests to share information or samples with any national anti-dopingagencyor international federation seeking to access samples for analysis relating to any British Olympic athletes since 2012.

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK Anti-Doping has ever refused to provide samples requested by (1) the World Anti-Doping Agency, or (2) the United States Anti-Doping Agency, from British athletes whose training was overseen at any time by Alberto Salazar or his colleagues at the Nike Oregon Project.

Baroness Barran: Any information which UK Anti-Doping receives is handled with the strictest data protection compliance. Therefore, it is not always possible for UK Anti-Doping to share information or samples from British athletes with third parties when this breaches data handling requirements.UK Anti-Doping has already publicly set out its position on sending samples related to the investigation of Alberto Salazar to the United States Anti-Doping Agency. To date, the World Anti-Doping Agency has not requested to reanalyse any of UK Anti-Doping’s samples of British athletes overseen at any time by Alberto Salazar.UK Anti-Doping has always supported the work of other anti-doping organisations and the World Anti-Doping Agency. When UK Anti-Doping cannot share information or samples, it always works for a constructive outcome to progress cases where there is a joint interest.

Loneliness

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address loneliness this winter.

Baroness Barran: Government is addressing the impact of loneliness this winter by providing millions of pounds in funding, inspiring organisations to take action and encouraging people to reach out through our campaign ‘Let’s Talk Loneliness’.As part of the £750 million charity funding package announced in the spring, £18 million has been provided to charities at the forefront of tackling loneliness. This funding is directly benefiting people at increased risk of loneliness, including young carers, veterans, new parents, people living with disabilities and many more.We have set up a new Tackling Loneliness Network that brings together over 65 private, public and voluntary organisations. These organisations are sharing expertise and developing innovative ways to tackle loneliness.The ‘Let’s Talk Loneliness’ campaign continues to share practical tips and signpost support via social media and through our website, so that no one needs to feel lonely this winter.